Why 3%?

Our name "Toptal" comes from Top Talent — meaning we constantly strive to find and work with the best from around the world. Our rigorous screening process identifies experts in their domains who have passion and drive.

Of the thousands of applications Toptal sees each month, typically fewer than 3% are accepted.

The Toptal Screening Process

Each applicant to the Toptal network must pass a screening process designed to measure subject matter expertise, professionalism, and communication skills. The full screening process takes between 2-5 weeks to complete.

step1

Language and Personality

The first step of the screening process is a comprehensive English language and communication interview evaluation. We also assess personality traits, looking for candidates who are passionate and fully engaged in their work.

26.4% of applicants pass

step2

In-Depth Skill Review

We also test each applicant's technical knowledge and problem-solving ability through various assessments. Every member of the Toptal network is an expert in their domain, and we typically only advance candidates with exceptional results in this phase.

7.4% of applicants pass

step3

Live Screening

Each candidate is interviewed by Toptal screeners who are experts in their functional domain. Our screeners provide specific live exercises, looking for problem-solving ability, depth of experience, communication ability, and creativity.

3.6% of applicants pass

step4

Test Projects

Each candidate is assigned a test project to evaluate whether they can "walk the walk." Test projects take 1-3 weeks are comprehensive and provide real-world scenarios for candidates to demonstrate their competence, thoroughness, professionalism, and integrity.

3.2% of applicants pass

step5

Continued Excellence

Members of the Toptal network maintain a track record of excellence while working with clients. As a quality-first company, our focus is on the top for talent and the top for clients, and this principle permeates through to every engagement and every delivered project.

3% of applicants pass

The Top 3%

Toptal is an elite global network of design, business, and technology experts unlike any other. The Toptal network is home to people with exceptional backgrounds: authors, founders, inventors, researchers, thought leaders, mentors, and more. We are problem-solvers who value integrity, and top companies rely on us for their most important initiatives.

Explore Trending Toptal Publications

It’s not every day that a client asks a developer to create a mobile app that cannot be closed, but this can be a crucial feature for Point of Sale (POS) devices.
In this article, Toptal Software Developer Tudor Filip Stupariu demonstrates how he built an Android POS app that can’t be closed.